Bogus Bills Put Windsor On State Map

January 18, 1991|By MONETTE AUSTIN Staff Writer

The Sentry Mart in Windsor knew about the existence of counterfeit bills for weeks. The Farmers Bank in Windsor had notified local businesses to look out for the fake money as soon as bank officials knew of its existence.

``We had the numbers three weeks ago, we knew about it, but we haven't seen any,'' said Shirley Braswell, manager of the minimart, referring to the arrests this week of two Isle of Wight County men in connection with the discovery of more than $5 million in counterfeit money.

``It was when it first started, over Christmas,'' says employee Tina Ingram. She doesn't think the area will see any more bogus bills.

Several bills have been turned in to the authorities by The Farmers Bank, where several businesses make their deposits. That is how the Southern Food Store on Windsor Boulevard found out it had been slipped two fake bills.

Dairy Queen on the corner of Routes 258 and 460 also had a run-in with the phony bills. Employee Debbie Miller was handed a folded $20 bill. She says the picture of Andrew Jackson ``looked cartoonish.''

Telling the man she had to get some change, she took the bill to her manager. Not knowing what to do, the manager told Miller to ask the police officers who had stopped by for lunch.

``They told me to get real money and give it back,'' she said. Miller said the man looked a little nervous and then gave her a real bill.

``I gave the police his description and his license plate number,'' she said.

Other businesses are aware of the problem, but haven't had any bad bills appear.

``We've been fortunate. As soon as the bank found out, we were notified,'' said Paul Mayo with the Windsor Exxon. ``I'm glad we haven't seen any.''

Last week, local and federal agents discovered the counterfeit money buried in the yard of a Windsor man. It was pay dirt for an investigation that began when artificial bills began appearing in $20 and $50 denominations in late November.

The Isle of Wight Sheriff's Department, Secret Service and State Bureau of Investigation worked on the case that resulted in the arrest of Gerald Wayne Sturgill, 51, of Smithfield and Michael Jesse Waltz, 34, of Windsor.

Waltz, who was arrested Jan. 14, is charged with manufacturing counterfeit currency. Sturgill, who was arrested Jan. 5, is charged with dealing in counterfeit currency. Both men have been freed, Sturgill on personal recognizance and Waltz on $5,000 bond.

Officials were led to location of the buried fake money by Waltz, who had left the state for Oklahoma, but returned to turn himself in to the authorities last weekend.

J. Benny Crosby, special agent in charge of the Secret Service office in Norfolk, said Sturgill says he is on disability and Waltz claims he is in construction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey Bryant III said Waltz was a dog breeder and trainer and was a federal correctional prison guard in another state from 1980-1982.

Crosby recommended that anyone worried whether they have received a counterfeit bill should compare it with another bill of the same denomination. The bogus money will appear yellow and the treasury seal on the counterfeit bills are inferior; the portraits are flat instead of raised.